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agnosia

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

IPA: /æɡˈnoʊziə/

KK: /æɡˈnoʊziə/

noun
Definition

A condition where a person cannot recognize or understand sensory information, like sounds or images, often due to brain injury.


Example

The patient was diagnosed with agnosia, making it difficult for him to recognize familiar faces.


Conversation
Sloth A
I read an article about agnosia and how it affects people's perception of the world.
Sloth B
That sounds interesting! What exactly does it mean?
Sloth A
It’s when someone loses the ability to recognize familiar objects or sounds due to brain damage.
Sloth B
Wow, that must be really challenging for those affected by it.

Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
disorientation
confusion
impairment
Antonyms
recognition
awareness
cognition
Root Explanation

Agnosia → It is formed from "a-" (meaning without) and "gnosis" (from Greek "gnōsis", meaning knowledge). The word "agnosia" refers to a condition where a person lacks knowledge or awareness about certain stimuli, despite having intact sensory functions.

Memory Tip

Think of 'without knowledge' — 'a-' means without, and 'gnosis' means knowledge. This helps you remember that agnosia is a condition where someone lacks knowledge about certain things.

Visually Confused Words
anosia
anosmia
anopsia
anoesia
paragnosia
magnolia
magnesia
anoopsia
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